Tropics face must win when only unbeaten divisional foe invades Bryant Stadium Saturday

LAKELAND – The Lakeland Tropics will look to keep their post-season hopes alive when the host the only unbeaten team in the Premier Development League's southeast division Saturday night at Bryant Stadium.

The Soccer Institute at  Montverde Academy (SIMA) Aguilas will be in town for a 7:35 p.m. start. The Aguilas are 8-0-1, good for 25 points and second place in the division behind FC Miami City, who at 9-1-0 have 27 points. Only the top two teams in the division make the post-season, and Lakeland is in third place at 6-2-1 (19 points.) The Tropics would still be in position to move into second with a win Saturday, and then would need a win in their final regular season game scheduled July 11 at SIMA.

Lakeland would also need positive results in a July 5 road trip against the Palm Beach Suns, and July 9 in the home finale against IMG Academy. A rained out game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies has not yet been rescheduled.

SIMA boasts two of the top 20 prospects in the national 72-team PDL and three in the top 28. Diego Campos, who has six goals and four assists, is number three overall, while midfielder Biska Biyombo is 18th with two goals and an assist. No. 28 is Santiago Patino, a forward who scored in the 90th minute in the Aguilas 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies U23 side last week.

Tropics captain Ricardo Diegues continues to lead Lakeland with nine goals, but he had his seven-game goal scoring streak stopped last Saturday in a 2-0 home loss to FC Miami City. Diegues is tied for third in league goal scoring, and third overall in shots taken. Teammate Victor Rojas is second in the league in shots taken at 34, and has four goals.

SIMA comes in having scored 24 goals this season, while allowing just six. Lakeland has a goal differential of plus five, with 18 goals scored and 13 allowed. Tropics netminder Jonathan Valerio is third in the league with 60 saves.

The Aguilas are the No. 1 ranked team in the PDL's southern conference power rankings, while Lakeland checks in at No. 5. FC Miami City is No. 3.  

Saturday's game will be broadcast live at i1tv.net. Tickets are available for just $5 each at www.lakelandtropics.com.or by calling the team office at 863-240-0101. Kids tickets for the SIMA showdown are just $1. And as a bonus, tickets purchasers for Saturday's game will receive a complimentary ticket for the team's final home game July 9.